Two natural independent Dailuaine

November 21, 2013

Two natural independent Dailuaine

Dailuaine isn't very common and what's more, they often came very sherried and very big. This time we'll have two rather 'naked' independent ones, including a brand new one by The Whisky Agency.

Dailuaine 23 yo 1988/2012 (43%, Mackillop's Choice, cask #3549)

43% vol., that's becoming quite uncommon as well at most 'smaller' indies... Colour: white wine. Nose: all on porridge, liquid smoke, exhaust fumes and paraffin. Big paraffin! Only far away in the background, a few grapefruits and lemons. Reminds me of brand new linoleum when I was a kid, that's very peculiar and pretty unsexy. Mouth: an old-style bottling. I mean, you could find these profiles at the indies around the year 2000 or before, but they've vanished from our favourite shelves. Chewing paraffin and leather plus crunching aspirin tablets and bitter almonds. Add a little grass and some kind of lemonade. Weird, different, actually less unpleasant that it sounds. Finish: rather short, grassy and waxy. Leathery aftertaste. Comments: really old school. Those who look back nostalgically to the late 1990s may enjoy this more than this little taster. Interesting, I'd add. SGP:361 - 75 points.

Dailuaine 31 yo 1982/2013 (51.3%, The Whisky Agency, refill hogshead, 225 bottles)

The Whisky Agency had a 1976 'bb hoggie' two years ago that was absolutely excellent in my opinion (WF 89). Colour: straw. Nose: isn't it amazing that similar profiles can provide us with very different feelings? This time, we've got the same very waxy/paraffiny notes but it's all complemented with a rather medicinal side, that includes cough medicine and antiseptic, and then with a kind of briny/coastal/smoky side that's quite uncommon in Speyside. Between anchovies in brine and tinned sardines. How unusual! I like this, it's typically 'Whisky Agency', I think their whiskies are always either excellent, or they really have something to tell us. This one may have both, lets see... Mouth: same comments, this is very old-skool, there's much more pepper than in the 1988, linseed oil, bitter grass, leather, paraffin again... I also really enjoy the combination of sharp lemon juice and tonic water. Finish: long, peppery, sooty, waxy. There are even chillies in the aftertaste. Comments: an ultra-challenging malt, neither for the faint-hearted nor for whisky enthusiasts who are more into sweet/honeyed whiskies. Anti-bourbon, in a way. SGP:362 - 87 points.

Check the index of all Dailuaine I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback